NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing team off to a strong start after Phoenix
Reporting from Avondale, Ariz.
NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin is off to a fast start in this year’s title chase thanks to his victory in Phoenix, but other early trends are developing as well.
Here are some story lines to take away from Sunday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway as the Sprint Cup Series heads to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend.
--Joe Gibbs Racing is strong out of the gate after a disappointing 2011. Not only did Hamlin earn his first victory at Phoenix, he climbed atop the early Cup standings. His two teammates, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, also are in the top 10 in points.
Logano is eighth in the standings after finishing 10th in his Toyota on Sunday, and Busch is ninth in points after coming home sixth at Phoenix.
“We are really looking to get through these first five races or so with a lot of momentum and a good spot in the point standings,” Logano said. “Then we can start to take some chances.”
--The pending penalties against Jimmie Johnson could hurt. The five-time champion finished fourth Sunday for Hendrick Motorsports but still found himself 38th in the Cup standings, 71 points behind Hamlin.
That’s because Johnson finished next to last in the season opener at Daytona and then was docked 25 points after NASCAR ruled that his No. 48 Chevrolet had unauthorized body work when it showed up at Daytona International Speedway.
Hendrick is appealing the points loss, along with a six-race suspension for crew chief Chad Knaus, who worked the Phoenix race pending the appeal. But if the penalties stand, Johnson has his work cut out for a sixth Sprint Cup.
--Kasey Kahne is hobbling with his new ride. Kahne took over the No. 5 Chevy at Hendrick this season but finished 29th at Daytona and had another rough day at Phoenix, where he won last November’s race driving for the former Red Bull Racing team.
Kahne hit the Turn 4 wall early in Sunday’s race and severely damaged his car. He fell 37 laps behind the leaders while his crew made repairs and then limped home to finish 34th. He’s now 32nd in the Cup standings.
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